4,5-Dihydro-pyrazolo[3,4-c]pyrid-2-one compounds of the type shown below are currently being studied as factor Xa inhibitors in clinical settings. As one of ordinary skill in the art understands, clinical trials and NDA submissions require practical, large-scale synthesis of the active drug. Consequently, it is desirable to find new synthetic procedures for making 4,5-dihydro-pyrazolo[3,4-c]pyrid-2-ones.